Child support payments are court ordered, and failure to do so is illegal. Many circumstances prevent someone from making the proper payments. Payment failures due to inability after the loss of a job or other special events is different than choosing to withhold payment on one’s accord. Not providing the necessary child support for your offspring can earn hefty penalties.

Contempt of Court

Child support payments require receipt within 30 days after the given order. If a noncustodial parent is no longer able to make the payment, avenues exist to alleviate the financial burden. If the court is unaware of an economic status change and no receipt of payment, the payor is guilty of criminal or civil contempt of court. Willfully disobeying judge orders is a strict violation of the law.

Divorce is intimidating to many clients. Adding unfamiliar terms and experts to the mix makes the experience more overwhelming. At the suggested use of a forensic accountant, a look of bewilderment creeps across many clients faces. Often their minds wander to the multitude of criminal investigation shows in which a homicide is under investigation. When discussing divorce and property division, why would forensics need to be involved? A forensic accountant has a very different job description, one that can be beneficial to even the most complex divorce cases.

What Is a Forensic Accountant?

A forensic accountant is a highly skilled professional who is utilized in divorce and property division cases. Not only are they educated and proven in an accounting capacity, but they are also able to apply these techniques and concepts to a legal investigation. In this context, forensic just means, “suitable for use in a court of law.” These accountants can analyze financial data and all related transactions then translate the information into an applicable context for the case at hand. They are uniquely capable of:

There are many reasons for establishing paternity. Whether for peace of mind, for medical history or for child support, no reason is too small and doing so can be beneficial for the child or children involved. Paternity testing may be initiated by either the mother or the father and likewise can be challenged by either party. However, once parentage is established, it may be difficult to alter the determination of paternity.

Why Anyone May Challenge

There are many reasons why someone may wish to legally prove that the listed biological father is not scientifically the biological father. A father may believe that the child is his and want to be a part of his child’s life, yet the mother may have claimed someone else as the father in order to keep the real father away. No matter the reason, challenging paternity tests may be the way to obtain the resolution you are hoping for.

Divorce can be extremely stressful. It can feel like the world has been removed from your shoulders once the divorce has been settled and a judgment has been filed. Everything is set, from the child support, to the alimony, and the visitation. Nevertheless, circumstances change with the passage of time. Some of the orders you obtained in your judgment may no longer be appropriate to your family situation. You may wish to proceed with post-judgment modifications to address these concerns.

What Can Be Altered

Although generally property division cannot be revisited post-judgment (except on statutorily-enumerated grounds), some of the orders contained in the judgment can be modified:

Although you may have decided that the marriage is over and divorce is the best option, your spouse wants to keep trying to make the marriage work. How do you divorce if your spouse does not agree?

California Law

First, California is considered to be a “no fault” divorce state. What this means is that neither side has to prove that the other side did anything wrong. “Irreconcilable differences” is one of the two legal grounds for divorce in California. The only other ground for divorce in California is incurable insanity. “Irreconcilable differences” means that the two sides simply cannot get along.